Core i3 or i5 for gaming?

[Guest]

Hello forum. I currently have an fx 4100. I am thinking of switching to intel. would the ivy bridge i3 be a good upgrade over the 4100. and is the i3 good enough for gaming. And does the i5 really give a big improvment in in framerates over the i3. or is it just more worth it to get an i5.

 

[skitz9417]

no the i3 is good for some games they need an i5 and an i5 is better for gaming

 

[amuffin]

Overclock.

 

[Guest]

Overclock.

Nope overclocking is completly of the table. I don't have anything but stock cpu cooling and I don't want to mess up my computer. I don't know that first thing about overclocking.

 

[amuffin]

There is really no point of upgrading to anything from what you currently have.

Just spend $30 for a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo and some of your time to learn on how to overclock.

 

[squirrelonfire]

OC only gives you 1-8% of performance improvement, waste of time and money. Just get the I5-3570k which tops several charts on the CPU comparison on Toms hardware.

 

[Guest]

OC only gives you 1-8% of performance improvement, waste of time and money. Just get the I5-3570k which tops several charts on the CPU comparison on Toms hardware.

Thanks for a legit answer. How big of a difference between an and i5 for gaming. I know if cpu intensive games like skyrim will be a big difference. But what about the typical game that depends more on your gpu?

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

You know, if you're even thinking about an i5, why not get an 8350? You can just drop into your current board.

The i5 would still be the better gaming CPU, but at least getting an 8350 keeps you from having to switch platforms.

 

[Guest]

You know, if you're even thinking about an i5, why not get an 8350? You can just drop into your current board.

The i5 would still be the better gaming CPU, but at least getting an 8350 keeps you from having to switch platforms.

It would sound nice but I also have a crappy board I would like to upgrade. And the 8350 doesn't really provide a big improvment in games form what I heard. any good boards that aren't to expensive. idealy good for xfire.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

any good boards that aren't to expensive. idealy good for xfire.

If you're talking AMD boards, this is a great one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131754

For Intel, this is a nice, cheaper option: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

 

[skitz9417]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157302 is the one im using but im getting i5 3470

 

[Guest]

If you're talking AMD boards, this is a great one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131754

For Intel, this is a nice, cheaper option: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

That asrock seems nice. how much better is the asus v pro for the price. Is it really worth the extra 80 bucks. A motherboard seems like it would pay of to have a nice one. and If I do get an i5 I will probably not upgrade it along with the motherboard for at least 3 years.

Also I plan on an ivy bridge for any other recomendations towards boards. So I'll need one with a z77 chipset (which I can see is in the asrock)

 

[mousseng]

OC only gives you 1-8% of performance improvement, waste of time and money. Just get the I5-3570k which tops several charts on the CPU comparison on Toms hardware.

This is a silly comment. 1) You're totally wrong about overclocking - an FX-4100 with a nice 4.5GHz overclock sees a boost of between 12.4% and 16% in three very CPU-heavy games; 2) if overclocking is a waste, then why recommend the 3570k?

As for the OP's concern, if you're going to change platforms then go for an i5 - an i3 would be a completely lateral movement, and a waste of money.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

That asrock seems nice. how much better is the asus v pro for the price. Is it really worth the extra 80 bucks. A motherboard seems like it would pay of to have a nice one. and If I do get an i5 I will probably not upgrade it along with the motherboard for at least 3 years.

If you want to go in that direction, I would just get the P8Z77-V. There's really no need for the Pro.

With that said, there really isn't a huge difference between the Extreme4 and the P8Z77-V/Pro. The main differences are onboard wireless and a slightly better power phase design for the Asus boards.

 

[skitz9417]

or if ur not overclocking get i5 3470

 

[Guest]

If you want to go in that direction, I would just get the P8Z77-V. There's really no need for the Pro.

With that said, there really isn't a huge difference between the Extreme4 and the P8Z77-V/Pro. The main differences are onboard wireless and a slightly better power phase design for the Asus boards.

It just seems like the v pro has a bunch of small little nice features hidden inside it to increase the value along with the point that it is probably the sexiest board I have ever seen. and right now on newegg the v pro is only 4 dollars more.

(also is the asrock you linked thin and flimsy. I've gotten a board before that was about a cm short on the right side so it would not lineup into the standoffs. So install the power connecter and ram was scary. as well as the whole board was flismy. Does this board have similar problems. this is a big factor for me.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

It just seems like the v pro has a bunch of small little nice features hidden inside it to increase the value along with the point that it is probably the sexiest board I have ever seen. and right now on newegg the v pro is only 4 dollars more.

Yeah, for only $4 more, why not, I suppose. You probably won't ever use a lot of what it offers, but it doesn't hurt anything, either.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, for only $4 more, why not, I suppose. You probably won't ever use a lot of what it offers, but it doesn't hurt anything, either.

Do you have the asrock and can vouch for it. it seems like a nice mobo and I am on a tight budget. But I am a sucker for a shiny black and blue asus with fancy shamcy features. And I don't know if I said this already but it will probably be 3 or 4 years untill I upgrade my cpu if I get an i5. So I'll need a mobo that will last a long time. and also the internal wifi will be a handy feature for me as long as it's a good card and gets strong signal.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

Do you have the asrock and can vouch for it.

Nah, I don't. Honestly, I'm an Asus guy to the core, so that's what I prefer as well, but I just recommend the ASRock boards to people who are on a tighter budget. They're "good enough" while having a very nice price with a lot of features that other boards in their price range don't.

 

[Guest]

Nah, I don't. Honestly, I'm an Asus guy to the core, so that's what I prefer as well, but I just recommend the ASRock boards to people who are on a tighter budget. They're "good enough" while having a very nice price with a lot of features that other boards in their price range don't.

I currently have the m5a97. It feels cheap and flimsy, the ps2 died on it. And seeing it was 115 when I bought I'm worried that the asrock will have the same problem.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

I currently have the m5a97. It feels cheap and flimsy, the ps2 died on it.

That surprises me. Asus is renowned for their quality, and I've had nothing but stellar experiences with any Asus product at any price that I've ever owned. They've just always been a cut above anything else for me.

 

[Guest]

That surprises me. Asus is renowned for their quality, and I've had nothing but stellar experiences with any Asus product at any price. They've just always been a cut above anything else for me.

It's still an okay board. THe biggset problem was that it was slighty to short on the right side to line up into the standoff mounts. so it compllety just gave out and would bend if you tried to install a new part or plug something in. I really wan't to avoid this on my next board.

 

[bwrlane]

Thanks for a legit answer. How big of a difference between an and i5 for gaming. I know if cpu intensive games like skyrim will be a big difference. But what about the typical game that depends more on your gpu?

Btw, the answer you were alluding to as not being legit, absolutely is legit. The plain fact is that a CPU upgrade will NOT yield a sizeable performance boost in most games unless either you have a very weak CPU and/or a very powerful GPU. It is one of the benefits of this forum that people give it to you as they see it, which is not necessarily what you wanna hear or are expecting!

Of course there are many reasons why you might want to upgrade and if you do, there's no better choice than an I5 3570k. Just don't expect any really substantial performance boost in games vs what you already have. For a start, it will have no impact whatsoever on what resolution you can run it at or the AA/other eye candy you can turn on - those are only about the GPU and have nothing whatsoever to do with CPU.

Yes, there are some games where you will get a measurable performance boost - but the real question is, is measurable the same as practical? A faster CPU than yours would reduce (but not eliminate) the odd stutter or slowdown, but the difference will certainly not be huge and my guess is you'll be left feeling disappointed in the return for your money. Skyrim would benefit to some extent in the more complex scenes (e.g. in cities) but it also depends on whether it's really the CPU that's holding back performance. The same scenes can also be quite taxing on the GPU as well. The GPU intensive games would see no benefit whatsoever.

With a "good enough" CPU (such as yours), you will almost always get a better return by upgrading your GPU.

Actually to be honest I've long pursued the ultimate goal of the gaming rig capable of running anything on max settings with no hint of stutter ever, anywhere. After investing in a second GTX 680 I have concluded that it's a completely impossible dream. It's really a question of what level of performance you find acceptable, and if you're not getting it, investing in the part that yields the biggest impact. In your case I sincerely doubt it's the CPU.

By the way, overclocking is really easy, free, and well worth a try.

 

[Guest]

Btw, the answer you were alluding to as not being legit, absolutely is legit. The plain fact is that a CPU upgrade will NOT yield a sizeable performance boost in most games unless either you have a very weak CPU and/or a very powerful GPU. It is one of the benefits of this forum that people give it to you as they see it, which is not necessarily what you wanna hear or are expecting!

Of course there are many reasons why you might want to upgrade and if you do, there's no better choice than an I5 3570k. Just don't expect any really substantial performance boost in games vs what you already have. For a start, it will have no impact whatsoever on what resolution you can run it at or the AA/other eye candy you can turn on - those are only about the GPU and have nothing whatsoever to do with CPU.

Yes, there are some games where you will get a measurable performance boost - but the real question is, is measurable the same as practical? A faster CPU than yours would reduce (but not eliminate) the odd stutter or slowdown, but the difference will certainly not be huge and my guess is you'll be left feeling disappointed in the return for your money. Skyrim would benefit to some extent in the more complex scenes (e.g. in cities) but it also depends on whether it's really the CPU that's holding back performance. The same scenes can also be quite taxing on the GPU as well. The GPU intensive games would see no benefit whatsoever.

With a "good enough" CPU (such as yours), you will almost always get a better return by upgrading your GPU.

Actually to be honest I've long pursued the ultimate goal of the gaming rig capable of running anything on max settings with no hint of stutter ever, anywhere. After investing in a second GTX 680 I have concluded that it's a completely impossible dream. It's really a question of what level of performance you find acceptable, and if you're not getting it, investing in the part that yields the biggest impact. In your case I sincerely doubt it's the CPU.

By the way, overclocking is really easy, free, and well worth a try.

I know that upgrading the gpu will have a bigger preformance rating. But I am planning on crossfireing two 7950'S so I need a better motherboad. And i don't think that a 4100 is good enough for two 7950's

 

[marshall64]

Nope overclocking is completly of the table. I don't have anything but stock cpu cooling and I don't want to mess up my computer. I don't know that first thing about overclocking.

Intel i5 is compatible with "Intel Turbo Boost Technology" which essentially overclocks your i5 or i7 automatically.

More info: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/turbo-boost/turbo-boost-technology.html